Illuminated sign.



-mvrmn s'rnrrns PATENT orr es.

HARRY F. LfiWENSTEIN, OF WASHINGTON, DI S'IRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNDR OFONE- HALF TO HUGH S. HILL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. V

.ILLUMINATED SIGN.

I v Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patentefl Jan 1916.

Application filed October 17, 1914. Serial No. 867,101.

To all whom/it may o'ncei'n:

Be it known that I, HARRY F. LiiWENsTnIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at A new and usefulimprovements in illuminated signs, and has for its object to provide sdevice of this character which embodies novel features of constructionwhereby any selected one of a pair of designs upon a cover plate for alamp box may be illuminated or displayed to the exclusion of the otherdesign, even though said designs, may have overlapping portions.

' A further object of the invention is to. provide an illuminated signof this character which is very simple and compact in its constructionand is well adapted for use for general advertising purposes, as a rearend signal upon vehicles, as a traffic. signalat street; intersections,or for other signaling purposes. A still which is simple and inexpensivein its construction, which'can be easily operated from a distance,and'which admits of the designs being superposed upon each other so asto economize in space and'elimijnate the necessity of providing anindependent space or'area'for each design which it may be desired'touse;

. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel combina- I 'tions and arrangements of the parts as willmore fully appear as the description 'proceeds, the novel featuresthereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

la-r view of the frontof a lamp box, showing a possible arrangement oftransparencies'for For a full understanding of the invention, referenceis'to' behad to the following description and accompanying drawing, in

which 'Figure 1 is a plan view of the front of a :lamp box constructedin accordance with the invention and showing a possible ar- 'rangemcntoftransparcnt jewels for display- 50 ing either of the words Right orLeft together with an arrow which may be caused to p'ointin eitherdirection. F1g. 2 is as1midisplaying either of the words Pass 'ordirection.

Stop, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the lamp box with the coverremoved-showing the arrangement of} lamps therein tpgthm with the switchfor operating-thesa'nicq' Qorresponding and like parts are referred toin the followlng description and indicated in all the views ofthedrawing by, thc s anw reference characters.

The operation of the device is based upol, the fact that where lights ofcomplement-d colors are used the rays from either one oi the lights willpass through a cor responi'l ingly colored transparency or anuncoloredthus be placed, upon the same plate, thmre portions of the plate ccnunonto both designs being provided with uncolored transparent cies throughwhich either color of light will. pass, while the remaining portions ofthe 'two designs are formed with respective transparencies colored tocorrespond lwith I o the colors of the complemental lights-3f furtherobject .of the invention is to provide an illuminated signal deviceReferringto Eig. l, the numeral l desigtnates the cover of a lamp box,said cover being formed of any suitable opaque materii'tl and beingprovided with a series of openings adapted to receive the usual jewelsor lenses 2 and arranged so that either of the'words Right or Left maybe displayed in con-- nection with an, arrow pointing in either The twoWords Right and Left ar'e superposed directly upon each other and thoseportions of the letters of the two Words which are. common to each otherare formed by uncolored jewels orleii ses 2. In a similar manner thebody portion ofthc double headed arrow which is arranged under the wordsRight and Left is formed of the uncolored jewels 2". The complementalcolors red and green may be used, and those portions of the design whichare peculiar to the letters of the word Right are formed by the greencolored jewels 2, while those portions of the-design which are peculiarto the letters of-the wordiLeft are formed by the red colored jewels 2.In a similar manner, the green colored jewels 2 are used to form thehead at the right hand end of the I arrow," "while the red coloredefthand end of thearrow:

The opaque plate 1 with the transparen 17a Zl'lliifilfi as previouslydescribed be employed as tho cover for as is shown by Fig. cl'llll thislamp box is a pair of s and 6, the lamp being co to give a light or thegreen hghiywil'l pass tho uncolorecl transparencies or r m .4 l

and (the red ironspui'encies 2, but

abso. )erl transpuronci 2.

. ping clesigns foamed by the green ni'cncics 2* will thus besuppresscrl i is 'usecl, although {chat culnz ales 1 which is formed bya comhinel ion of "she uncclored transparencies cncl :rcrltransparencies will be'illuminaterl in the, crrnngemcnt shown by Fig. 1,secri that when the i'edlight is Woici will be illuminated in the im'owilluminated in red so as to :.he loft. in :2. similar munnei' e greenlight 6 is used, the rays of will pass through the uncolorccl but Willbe absorbed in passing h, transparencies 2% This will in ciispisiyingthe Word Right in gi'con io 'cthci" with s. green-arrow poincing ihc Fl:1'7. I w

Fig. 2 ows another possible combination of trnnsp rencies by means ofwhich either of tho WOHlS Pass or Shop may be illluninziteil While theother Word is sup pressed. ,Thonunicral 3 is anopa-que plate similar tothe plate 1 and having suifiable hm parencies therein. Thetransparencies :nc uncolored and are common to both of the'ivoriis Passand Stop. The transpnrcncics 3 are colored green and are g'nircncies 5 care red and peculiar to the Word Sloop will thus be obvious that whenthe real Eight 5 is used nho worcl Stop will be ilhuninuteo in red,since the red light will through the uncolorecl transparencies obsorbeclin g througl'i the green transparencies 3'. In a. similar manner whenthe green light 6 is used the Word Pass Will be illuminated in green,since the green light will pass ihmughthe uncolored transparencies 3*"and the green transparencies 3 but x-will'be absorbed in passing throughthorerl imnspai'cncies 3. in a similar manner any nwo Words or 'clesignsmay be superposed upon each other and thoseportions Which are con'nnonto 'nhe two Words or designs formed by nncolorocl transparencies WhileZhose porfiions which are peculiar to the 1' =i'. are formed bytransparcm we as red. lighl; While iqhe lamp green light"... Either hered light from ihe lcmp fa' th ough um uncolorccl Erunspurcnin inssirnthrou h tho lhe portions of the ncics 2 the green transparen,

peculiar to the Word Pass, While the trans F and tho rod transparencies3, but will be "cies of complemcntal colors. With this arrungemeni; e"light of one of ljhe compile menial colors will cause one of thedesigns no be illuminated to the exclusion of izhcfirsc design. By thussuperposing fshe designs upon each other a very compact arrange- .meniis produced and the necessity of hav ing several separate words ordesigns upon he same plate is eliminated. 'lhisis on scli'nntnge in manycases, sinc e'othci'wise ii, would be necessary-to use an objcctionablylargo plate or to make the several words or designs so small as not tohe readilyyclis lingtushell at a distance. I

Any suitable means may be provided for controlling the electric lights 5and 6, and in the present instance a. Wire -7 1s shown as leading fromone of the terminals oi each oi vthe lamps to -a suitable source ofelectric" supply suchns the baiterics 14. The other ficrminuls of thetwo lumps 5 and 6 are connected by the respective wires 9- nnd'fl tothccontacts 11 and 10 of a suitable switch. The switch lever 12 is;connected by .a wire 13 to the bii tteries 14 and is adapted" to beswung into engagement 'with either of the contact men hers 10 orll so toilluminate either of the lamps 5 orb. H

The design shown by Fig. l is Well nclapb cd for use as a. rear end!signal forvjchicles for the purpose of indicating thatlhe driycr oi thevehicle intends to turn right or to the left. The lamp box wouldlbcmounted upon the rear end of the Vehicle and could be readily controlledby 2i small electric switch arranged upon the sleei'ing either to, the

Wheel. or in any other position most con venient to the driver. Thedesign. shown by Fig. 2 is Well adapted for use as u traffic signal atstreet intersections since either of the Words Pass or Stop maybefclisplayecl to indicate Whether the trailic'moving along one of thestreets is to pass or slop." Havmg thus described the im'entionanddesire to secure" designs being transparent to both form's of light raysWhile those portions of thc trans 'p arencics peculiar to the individualdesigns are respectively opaque to one form of the light raysand'transparent to the'other" of the light rays.

2. An illuminated sign including scleclive means for producing lightrays of com plemehtal colorsancl an opaque cover plate havingoverlapping designs formed thereon by transparencies, those portions oithe transparencies WhiClI are common to both designs. being uncoloredwhile: those portions of the transparencies which are pecul iar to theindividual-designs have the commental color. v

' 3.- An illuminated sign including means plemental colors of the lightrays so. that,

either one of the designs may be illuminated to the exclusion of theother'design by pro-.

ducing light rays of the proper complefor producing light rays ofcomplemental colors, and a cover plate having transparent designsthereon of the same complemental colors of the light rays so that eitherone of the designs may be illuminated to the exclusion of the otherdesign by producing light rays of the proper complemental color.

' 4. An-illuminated sign including means for producin two forms of lightrays of a complementa nature, and a cover plate provided withoverlapping designs, those portions of the designs which are commonbeing affected in the same manner by both forms of light rays, whilethose portlons of the designs which are individual are affected indifferent manners by "light rays.

illuminated sign including means transparent the two forms of forproducing two forms of light rays of a complemental nature, and'a coverplate pro vided with overlapping designs, those portions of the designswhich are common bemg when illuminated by one form of the light,

rays, and clearly visible when illuminated by the other form of lightrays.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY F. LGWENSTEIN;

Witnesses:

JAMES H. MARR, G. E. RUFF. I

transparent to both forms of light rays,- while those portions of thedesigns which I are individual are respectively opaque to x

